A former member of the Woodrow Volunteer Fire Department in Lubbock County, Texas, has filed a pro se lawsuit in US District Court for the Northern District of Texas alleging the department discriminated against him because he has Multiple Sclerosis and dismissed him after he raised concerns about his treatment.
According to the complaint, John Newman Wright III disclosed his MS diagnosis on his membership application in 2023. Nonetheless, his application was accepted, he successfully completed his probationary period and was voted into full membership. He obtained a Texas EMT license, a Class B fire apparatus driver exemption, and certifications in firefighting, hazardous materials, pump operations, vehicle extrication, and incident command.
Wright alleges he became one of the department’s most active responders, and that department leadership authorized him to drive rescue apparatus and other vehicles, operate an engine pump at structure fires, and perform fireground, EMS, rehabilitation, accountability, and traffic-control duties…